The Walking Dead - Monsters Among Men
by Mellifeathers
Summary: The world has gone to shit and Missy is one of the survivors. Defending herself against what's left of the world, she gets hurt and is found by a man that brings her to a group he travels with, but can she hold on to life? Sometimes you're just better off dead.
1. Chapter 1

The world we live in changes drastically after a pandemic of some sorts breaks out. People start dying all around, not just in Atlanta, but all throughout the world. The worst part is, the dead don't just stay dead, they come back to life after a few hours, with a hunger to kill. The world seems to have ended and only a few people are left to survive.

Missy Hunter is one of the few living people just outside of Atlanta, but the only reason she's still alive is because she fled into the woods when everything began to change and the military started shooting people. She's armed and knows how to defend against the living dead; quietly and swiftly with a hunting knife, until she gets injured by the living and is left to fend for herself while losing blood slowly. She's found by a man that brings her to a group he travels with, but can she hold on to life?

Sometimes you're better off dead.

* * *

Missy had been hiding for almost two whole weeks deep in the forest, far away from the city of Atlanta, her home town. Two weeks ago was also the big day when people started to change, to die and the military started shooting people. Whatever caused the wipeout of the civilization, it had happened fast. But the deaths weren't the biggest problem. The biggest problem was the dead coming back to life, devouring and changing the still living into one of them.

All Missy knew, was that once strange shit started to happen, she fled with her camping gear until it would blow over. If it would ever blow over…

Missy was camped out neatly surrounded by trees. There was a river close by that went further into the forest. But what stood out the most of her camping ground, was the pile of corpses that were piled around her blood stained tent.

If a Walker would get anywhere near her camping ground, she would hack into its head with her hunting knife her father had given her years ago. She had quickly learned that the brain was the trigger, and that they mostly left her alone because of the corpse smell, thinking it was already a place of the dead. She had at least 10 kills from the past 2 weeks.

Missy owned a shotgun and a rifle she had looted from a gun store when the disaster struck. She hadn't used them, knowing if she shot one of the living dead, more would follow, being attracted to the loud sound.

She lived off the canned goods she had brought, eating little day by day and once in a while being able to catch a squirrel or a rabbit by the wire traps she laid. She only made a fire when absolutely necessary, and even then she kept it very low so she wouldn't attract any unwanted guests.

The bodies stacked around her little camp smelled horrid but she had grown accustomed to the smell during the past days. She only killed a living dead if it got to close to her and when she absolutely knew she could take it down with a single blow. She even had blood smeared across her tent to mask her scent.

She would stay here until she found the courage (or when her food would run out) to venture deeper into the woods, or back to Atlanta. But until then, she would stay here, among the decaying bodies of the dead.

* * *

_This is an introduction to my character, Missy Hunter. You'll learn more about her during the story. I hope ya'll enjoy it so far, it's just a short chapter because it's just an introduction towards the character and my writing style. I chose third person, seeing as there are multiple characters and it's nice to know what's going through their heads too. Feedback is welcome. 3_


	2. Chapter 2

Two weeks had passed since Missy had fled the city and the pandemic struck. Fortunately, she had not been bitten or scratched by any of the passing living dead. She had collected at least a dozen bodies over the past two weeks. She had learned a lot about the living dead. Their senses were slower than humans, they could see, smell and hear, but it was as if they noticed everything a second or two later, which would usually give you the upper hand to strike and kill, before you were attacked, if you were fast enough that is. And not to mention they were often missing limbs or sometimes they would even drag themselves forward while missing their lower body. As long as their brain wasn't damaged, they would live. Missy had even found a walker in the middle of the forest with only one arm and leg, hopping around.

Missy ate her rabbit quietly that she had caught earlier today and when she was done with it, she threw the carcass on the body pile and started to sharpen a branch into a spear, which she would use for traps and even for impaling the living dead. She sat by a nice small crackling fire which she only made when she needed to warm something or cook something. Slowly the fire went down though.

-Snap!-

Missy heard a branch snap somewhere near her. She stood up slowly and held her knife tightly in her right hand. She heard a loud breathing. Jerked around the tree, she stuck her knife in the head of a living dead. It lunged at her but she stepped back and it fell dead to the floor. Missy pulled her knife out of its head and sighed. She dragged the body towards the other corpses and tried to stack it on top of another bodies.

"Well, what do we have here?" Missy turned around startled and saw a man, Latino by the looks of it, with a gun that had a silencer in his hand. She held her knife in front of her, ready to strike when needed.

"Who are you?" she hissed at the man.

"We're travelers. We've been searching for a place to survive. Is Atlanta over run by the dead?" he asked her, two other men came walking up behind him; they were in their mid-30's she guessed.

"I escaped Atlanta. Everyone is dead or a living dead. There is nothing left" Missy told him and started to lower her knife as he observed her.

"We haven't found a safe spot yet, but people have said that Fort Benning is safe. We thought we would try Atlanta first."

"Like I said, there is nothing left in Atlanta. And Fort Benning is a long way from here," Missy said softly. She studied the three men, it had been a while since she saw someone that was actually alive, but she still didn't trust these guys. Her father had always told her, never to trust a man with anxiety in his eyes.

"How long have you been out here?" the man asked her as he looked at the bodies lying around.

"Since the pandemic struck," she said.  
"Pandemic? You think it's viral?" Missy raised her shoulders.  
"Whatever it is, it's killed at least 3 quarters of our nation," she whispered. The man took a step towards her and she stood her ground. He looked around and put his hand on her shoulder. He looked her up and down, she was a lovely sight. She had long blond hair that reached her lower back, dark green eyes that he could see in the small fire that was burning. She had a nice body he noticed, but she had started to lose weight rapidly, seeing as she had been rationing her supplies in case of an emergency.

"Why do you keep the bodies here?"  
"The smell blocks my scent, so less dead come venturing here. And not to mention if a horde passes by, I can hide under the bodies," she said grimly. The smell was nauseating at first, but you grew accustomed to it after a while.

"So do you have any weapons except your knife?" the Latino man asked and Missy eyed him.  
"No," she lied.  
"You're one tough cookie, out here all alone with only a knife to protect you," he said and gave her shoulder a squeeze.

"I can manage, my old man taught me how to survive in the wilderness."  
"So are you going to stay here," he asked. The two other men started to look around and one headed towards her tent where she kept her guns.  
"That's what I'm planning on, until they find an antidote." She wanted to move towards her tent but the man kept his hand firmly on her shoulder.  
"They aren't going to find an antidote doll. You could come with us you know, we could take care of you." Missy eyed him and smiled forcefully.  
"That's alright, I appreciate it though," she said.

"It's the end of the world babe, come on, we don´t bite."  
"I said, no thank-you," Missy whispered, clutching her knife.  
"I think you're being quite harsh towards us sweetheart," his grip on her tightened. He wasn't going to let go.

Missy struck him with her knife in his hip out of pure fear. He yelled and she got out of his grip and started to run. She went for her tent but got pushed down into the ground and felt a large foot step on her back. She yelled and a hand clasped over her mouth as he pulled her by her hair back.

"That wasn't very nice of you, sweetheart," the man hissed.  
"Let me go," she pleaded.  
"Grab all the stuff, don't forget the guns in her tent." The man flipped her over onto her back and Missy felt his blood drip on her.

"You're being a little bitch, now shut up before the dead find us." Missy cried and the man grinned.  
"You don't understand sweety. We're scavengers. We know we might only live for a few more days, so we make the best out of it. We hunt, we drink, we use the drugs we find and we fuck." Missy felt like her heart was going to stop any minute now out of fear.  
"Once I'm done with you, you're going to wish you had died back in Atlanta," he whispered in her ear while leaning over her. She cried out for help but she would receive none. His big hand shut her mouth with ease and she wasn't able to move. She was all his now.

The men left her behind when they were done with her. She was bruised, bloodied and broken. She wished the living dead would find her and end her so she wouldn't have to deal with all this pain and shame. She was suffering, and soon the cold would run through her bones and surely make an end to her life.

They had left her to die. She was bait for the living dead. Something they would feast on. She had no weapons, food or water. She couldn't move and she didn't for two days straight. Hallucinations started to set in and she kept falling in and out of reality. Until suddenly reality washed over her like a wave, when she saw a person walking slowly towards her in the distance.

* * *

_So just to make things clear, the men that had attacked Missy weren't any of the main groups guys. But I imagined that some people who believe the world is coming to an end, would do turn into animals themselves and do everything to make their last days a blast, even if they have to hurt others. I hope you guys enjoy the way I write, sorry if there are any mistakes. I'd love to hear what you think because I'd really like some feedback and some tips! Much love!_


	3. Chapter 3

Missy could only see a blur of the person walking towards her slowly. This was the end, she thought. Finally a living dead had found her and she would be attacked and killed. But she didn't care anymore, she had weakened and all she wanted to do was sleep and never wake up again.

"Holy fuck," she heard someone hiss.  
The person was living. She didn't know if she should be more afraid or thankful. But the man leaned over her and listened to her heart, seeing as she wasn't moving. All she could do right now was listen. A tear rolled down her cheek and the man cussed again. She was afraid he would do the same as what the other men had done.

"Shhh, be quiet" he said softly and shrugged his jacket off. He laid it over her fragile body and she whined softly out of fear. He brushed hair out of her face and shushed her. Missy's body relaxed, it seemed like he wouldn't do her any harm. He grabbed his water bottle and carefully he made her drink from it. He wiped away drops from her chin and looked over to another man walking towards him.

"Shane! Get over here!" He yelled. Shane picked up his pace and kneeled next to the young lady. Missy could only see the blurs of the two men. She didn't understand what was going on. She was freezing from her blood loss and the cold that had pulled through her bones. She was sick, her immune system was fucked up and she stood on the brink of life and death.

"Shit, we need to bring her back to camp," said Shane while he looked at her. His comrade had covered her with his jacket. He grabbed her hand gently and felt that she was freezing.  
"I don't know if she's going to make it."  
"Daryl, do you think you could drive your truck over here?" Shane asked, afraid to move her.  
"No, the trees are too close to each other."

"She's been abused, there's blood all over the place."

"Are there any clothes?" Shane looked through the tent and around but didn't find anything except a hunting knife that was covered in blood next to the tent.  
"Only a knife."  
"Help me get this jacket on her," Daryl said. At least she would be wearing something except the torn rags she had. Missy gritted her teeth in pain while they moved her, a small whine escaped her throat and tears streamed down her face.  
"Don't hurt me," she begged.  
"We're not going to hurt you; we're going to take you to our camp where we will take care of you." Shane was pissed, he couldn't believe someone would hurt a young woman like this. But, the end had come for many people, and he had expected for some people to misuse others. Especially an attractive young lady would a great prize to have. He guessed her to be in her early twenties.

"Take this, I'll carry her," said Daryl while he gave his stuff to Shane who was already carrying a backpack with their stuff, in case they got lost or needed it.

Carefully Daryl picked her up in his arms and she moaned in pain.  
"Put your arms around my neck," he said. She was as light as a feather. Missy did what he said and laid her head on his shoulder for support. Daryl and Shane started to walk away from the hide-out, leaving a pool of blood behind. The young lady in Daryl's arms started to fall back into a deep sleep, knowing she was safe now. This was her second chance, if she would survive.

"It's another mouth to feed, but we can't just leave her behind," Shane said while they walked back towards the camp. He looked at the young lady, she was bruised and beaten and he could see her clenching her jaw out of pain.  
"She can die any minute, you know what to do if she dies," Daryl told Shane and he nodded. A swift stab of the knife through the eye or a bullet through the head would do the trick. But Missy was holding on to life, she wasn't going to give up, knowing now she was in the arms of someone who would take care of her.

Daryl Dixon and Shane Walsh were two men out of a group consisting of 25+ survivors. The group had found each other over the past two/three weeks and decided that they were safer in numbers, so they stuck together. Of course everybody stayed out of each other's hair, but it was nice knowing there were others on the lookout. They stayed together, and they travelled together. If you wanted to leave, you were free too. But it was foolish to go on your own. The group consisted of families, and people who had lost their families.

"What's this little brother?" Merle Dixon, Daryls older brother asked while Daryl and Shane walked back in to camp. People started to gather to see what the two men had found.  
"You brought a dying person to our camp? What if she turns into one of those monsters! There are children here," a mother snapped while pulling her son towards her.  
"She's wounded and used. We couldn't just leave her to die out there. She has a chance to survive here," Daryl snapped at the woman while holding the young lady in his arms, not knowing where he could lay her down. More people started to gather and while some protested, others agreed on not letting her die. They didn't know who she was, where she came from or if she was going to make it. The only thing they knew for sure, was that for the time being, she was a danger to them all.

* * *

_Well, here is Chapter 3, Missy has been brought to the camp by Daryl and Shane. Don't worry, it's not going to be love at first sight or anything. It's just that he didn't want an actual living persons death to be on his hands, if that person had a chance to live. He's still holding on to that part of humanity. As soon as you don't care about a living persons life or death, that is when you should start to worry. Anyway, I hope ya'll enjoy it and I'd love to hear what you guys think about it!_


	4. Chapter 4

"Listen up people, she hasn't been bitten alright. She is no danger towards the group, even if she dies, she won't become a Walker," Shane said while everybody fussed. With Walkers he of course meant the living dead.

A few accepted it, others still saw her as a danger but went back to whatever they were doing in the first place.  
"I need to put her down somewhere, I can't carry her around like a baby all day," Daryl mumbled and Shane nodded.  
"You can put her in the RV for now, so that she's away from the rest and so that she can sleep in peace," an old man named Dale said.  
"I appreciate it Dale," Shane thanked him and Daryl walked into the RV and laid her down on the bed. He grabbed a towel and laid it under her so that her blood wouldn't stain the bed and looked at her. He actually felt bad for her. Daryl wasn't the type of guy to show his feelings, he would never admit that he felt bad for her, nor would he actually show any type of emotion except stern, strict and keeping up his badass pose. He was a real tough guy, but he couldn't just leave someone behind to die, especially if it was a woman. He still had that piece of humanity intact, unlike others who would've killed her immediately, so that she wouldn't come back as a Walker.

Two women walked into the RV and Daryl looked over his shoulder.  
"We're not taking care of her. No one is. She's your responsibility," said the older sister, Andrea. Daryl sneered.  
"Then get the fuck out, I don't need your help," Daryl spat back at them. Andrea walked out of the RV and her sister Amy followed her. They usually stayed with Dale in the RV, but now with the new girl they were made to stay outside in a tent. They just wanted to make things clear that they weren't helping her out; mostly Andrea didn't give a single fuck about the new girl. Amy on the other hand was a sweet young lady that wanted to help the world if she could. But Andrea would never let her.

"Hey, you goin' to be baby sittin' that sugarplum right there?" Merle Dixon walked into the RV with a grin on his face.  
"She's hurt, you can't just let a human being die out in the forest," Daryl snapped at his brother. Merle was a big tough guy, short curly hair on top of his head and he was built big. They left North Georgia and travelled to Atlanta, hearing it was safe. But then they ran into Shanes group and decided to stay with them. It was safe to say, that almost no one liked the Dixon brothers. They were loud, mean and dirty. But they mostly kept distance from the group, only helping with hunting once in a while when it was their turn to gather food.

"She's pretty darn good lookin', I might have to do some groomin' if she ever wakes up," Merle laughed and burst into a coughing fit. Daryl didn't like the sound of that. His brother was everything he had, but he didn't like the way Merle acted sometimes. Especially when it came to women.

"Take care of your new pet little brother," Merle grinned and left the RV.

Daryl sighed, Shane was out calming people down and seeing as no one was going to take care of the young lady, Daryl decided to do it. He wetted a washcloth and ran it down her face, wiping of mud and blood. He wiped down her neck till her chest, he didn't want to go too far, not knowing if she was awake or not. And after an experience like that, if she would even trust a man near her.  
She moaned softly because she was waking up and he wiped away her tears. He gave her strong pain killers and she fell back into a deep sleep before even noticing what was going on.

Missy awoke a few days later from her deep slumber and looked up at an old man, wearing a fishing hat. He was at least older than 60, that was for sure. But he smiled warmly at her.

"Are you Daryl?" Missy asked softly, it was the only name she had remembered.  
"No, my name is Dale. You're sleeping in my RV," he said softly, relieved that she had awakened. Daryl, Shane, Jacqui and him had been the only people that had been taking care of her the past few days. She had been recovering quickly, thanks to all the painkillers and water they gave her. She hadn't been able to eat yet.

"Thank-you, I appreciate this," she said and he nodded.  
"You've been severely wounded, were you bitten by a Walker?" he asked and Missy shook her head, linking the Walkers with the Living Dead.  
"Three men had found my hiding place," she explained.  
"I'm sorry what happened to you," he whispered. She bit back her tears and nodded. Dale felt so sorry for her and told her to wait.  
"Here's some food, you must be hungry," he said and gave her some of the left over fish and bread they had kept for her.  
"I feel like I haven't eaten in weeks," she whispered and ate the food. Her fever had subsided, luckily and Dale was happy to see her alive.

"After you finish that, go back to sleep dear. I want you to get better, I'll let the others know you were awake," Dale smiled.  
"Thank-you Dale, I really appreciate it," she smiled back at him. He winked at her and left the RV.

"Shane, she woke up," Dale said to one of the men that had rescued Missy.  
"Good, is she still awake?" he asked and Dale shook his head.  
"I told her to go back to sleep and rest once she finished eating," Dale said.  
"That's good, I'm happy she's recovering," Shane smiled. Shane was a good man and wanted the best for the group, but at the same time he could be mean and harsh when things weren't going his way.  
"Hey Daryl, she woke up. She's getting better," Shane called over to Daryl who walked by with his brother Merle. Daryl ignored Shane, knowing that Merle would start harassing him about it.

"You hear that little brother, your pet might survive," he grinned. Daryl mumbled something while walking off. He would check on her later.

* * *

_I would really appreciate some feedback and such, I'm always looking to better my writing! Thanks for reading :D_


	5. Chapter 5

Later that day, Daryl decided to go check up on Missy while his brother was too occupied with skinning and gutting a couple of animals for dinner. He walked to the camp, nodded at Dale and entered the RV. He saw her lying with her back towards him, in a deep sleep. He walked up to her and brushed her hair out of her face. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at Daryl with a tired smile.

"Who are you?" she asked him softly, her voice was weak.  
"I'm Daryl Dixon. Shane and I are the ones that found you." Daryl had brown hair and a tough appearance. He looked dirty and had a stern look on his face. But when Missy looked deep into his eyes, she saw that he was worried about her.

"Thank you Daryl, without you I would've died," she whispered. She reached out to his hand and he flinched and retracted it. She smiled, exhausted up at him and he nodded. He wasn't used to affection; he never really had it in his life. Neither did he really smile unless something really appeased to him. And now at days, nothing did.  
"I couldn't let you die out there. Rest up, good to see you're gettin' better." Missy thanked him again and even before he left the RV, she was back in a deep sleep, where the nightmares were waiting for her.

Missy rested for another few days, only waking up once in a while when Dale came in to give her something to eat. But finally she woke up one day with enough strength to actually get out of the RV. She stood up and held herself up while she breathed deep in and out. Slowly she walked towards the door, opened it and stepped outside. The sun greeted her and she sighed, it was the best feeling ever.

Missy looked at a lady with short hair and her daughter who were hanging up clothes to dry nearby the RV.  
"Hi," the lady said.  
"Hello," Missy said with a smile on her face.  
"How are you feeling?"  
"Better, thank-you." She held herself up on the RV and saw Daryl walking up towards her. He observed her, she seemed still very unstable, and she was still wearing his shirt he had given her and a pair of shorts they had found.  
"Daryl," she smiled at him and he walked up to her.  
"Be careful, we don't want you to be harming yourself," he said easily.  
"I just needed to get out of the RV, maybe… shower if that's possible?" she said and looked up to him. She had dark green eyes, just like the woods and an innocent look on her face, she was afraid to be a burden but she really needed to clean herself up, she would feel much better after that.

"You can clean yourself down at the river, Carol. Bring her down to the river?" Daryl asked, seeing as Missy might be more comfortable with another woman around. Carol gave her some clothes that they had been holding for her and some soap.

"Ofcourse-," said Carol, but her husband crawled out the tent and sneered at Daryl. The young girl that was with Carol, looked up at her father with fright. Ed Peletier was a horrible man.  
"Take care of your own people, Carol isn't going anywhere," the man said.  
"Ed, it isn't a burden," Carol said softly.  
"Be quiet woman."  
"I'll take her then, asshole." He looked at Missy who held her stomach while she started to walk. He walked slowly next to her. Ed stared the young lady down from behind and then looked at the young man. He hated Daryl Dixon, just as much as he hated Merle Dixon. Actually, he hated everyone and wanted them to stay away from his family. He was an asshole, and not to mention abusive. Daryl had already sworn to Shane, that if Ed would come near Missy, he would beat the living shit out of him. Ed was the kind of man that wouldn't cry if his family would get killed. He'd be relieved, not having to take care of them.

While walking down the hill, Daryl carefully helped Missy while he carried his crossbow over his shoulder. He would've gotten someone else to help her out, but he decided not to go through the trouble, and seeing as most people were doing their own thing.  
"You alright?" he asked her.  
"Yeah, just weak and dizzy," she said. It felt like she had run a marathon, she was out of breath.

"So, whats your name?" Daryl asked.  
"Missy Hunter, I'm from Atlanta," she told him.  
"You're lucky a Walker didn't find you."  
"I'm lucky that Shane and you found me," she smiled kindly up at him.

"I guess. It's inhuman to leave a person behind, that's clearly wasn't bit or a threat," Daryl said, as if he was defending himself. Missy noticed he wouldn't show any emotions, except anger and annoyance. But he kept this pose up so people wouldn't fuck around with him, so that they knew he was serious and that whatever he had to say, it most likely was important. His only care was surviving. But he also still held on to humanity, because if he would lose that, he would become like a wild animal. He had seen people do it. Even the guys that had hurt Missy had left their humanity and let the fear get better of them. But he would never let that happen.

By the river, Missy laid her clothes on a rock, the place was covered with trees and as far as they knew it was safe.  
"I'll keep a watch around here, just in case Walkers come wandering around. Hurry up." Daryl walked away and Missy felt the cool water. She stripped down to her underwear and got in the water and sighed relieved. It had been ages. She washed all the blood off of her that stuck to her skin. She washed the clothes she had been wearing and laid them to dry in the sun, but got back in the water and swam around while she took over her underwear and cleaned herself further up.

When she was done, she got out of the water and looked at her bruises that had turned yellow, meaning they were almost healed. She put on her clothes after drying herself off with the small towel that Carol had given her and put on her clothes. The jeans that were torn around, fit perfectly and the black top hung loosely. She sat in the sun and waited for Daryl to come back and when he did, she looked alive again.

"Come on girl, let's get you back to camp," he said and she walked behind him towards the camp and up the hill. But when they got near, she could see more people now. She started to get nervous because everyone was looking at her. Daryl brought her up to a man who was standing next to a woman and a younger boy.  
"This is Shane," Daryl said.  
"Thank-you," Missy said to Shane and he smiled.  
"Not a problem miss, glad to see you're doing better. Whats your name?"  
"Missy Hunter," she said and he nodded.  
"The name is Shane Walsh, this is Lori and Carl Grimes."  
Missy shook their hands and Carl smiled up to her. Lori had longer dark brown hair and a annoyed look on her face. Carl resembled her, but he smiled kindly and had freckles on his face.  
"How old are you?" Shane asked.  
"21," she said. Daryl looked behind him and saw Merle walking up to them, the group went back to doing their own things, after having observed the girl while she was talking to Shane. Daryl hoped that Merle wouldn't start a ruckus or scare Missy.


End file.
